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Cymer Introduces the ELS-6000 - World's Most Advanced Excimer Laser For 0.18 Micron and Below DUV Lithography
PR Newswire - December 01, 1998 17:15
New Platform Features First Production-Ready 2000 Hz Laser
SAN DIEGO, Dec. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Cymer, Inc. (Nasdaq: CYMI), the world's leading supplier of excimer laser illumination sources essential for deep ultraviolet (DUV) photolithography, today introduced the ELS-6000(TM) -- a next-generation krypton fluoride (KrF) 248nm laser. The ELS-6000 is expected to play a major role in the production of semiconductor devices with design rules at 0.18 micron and below, furthering Cymer's leadership position in the DUV laser market.
The ELS-6000, the first production-ready 2000 Hz laser, has twice the power and repetition rate of all other commercially available 248nm lasers and is capable of increasing throughput by 13 to over 30 percent. In addition, improved pulse energy stability provides better dosage control, improved yields and lower costs.
Commenting on the impact of this new product introduction, VLSI Research Inc. President Dan Hutcheson noted that the ELS-6000 puts Cymer a full generation ahead in the critical area of advanced light sources for DUV lithography. "Although a number of competitors have introduced advanced lasers in the last two years, they all compete with Cymer's prior generation lasers -- no other system comes close to matching this new tool for throughput, reliability and cost of operation," said Hutcheson.
The ELS-6000 incorporates specific features including a new High- Efficiency Chamber (HE Chamber(TM)) for improved optical performance and lower cost of operation. Improvements in the pulsed-power and line-narrowing modules, wavemeter and cooling system create a laser platform that will be extendible for sub 0.18 micron exposure tools with >0.7 numerical aperture (NA) lens designs.
"As chipmakers transition to sub-0.25 micron geometries, the need for more advanced lithography tools with even more sophisticated light sources becomes critical," explained Pascal Didier, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Customer Operations of Cymer, Inc. and President of Cymer Japan. "In addition to enabling the industry's highest throughput and lower cost of operations, the ELS-6000 provides a new modular platform design that can meet industry needs for several technology generations."
The ELS-6000 provides a new level of spectral performance: less than or equal to 0.6 picometer (pm) bandwidth full-width half max (FWHM), less than or equal to 2.0pm bandwidth at 95 percent integrated energy. Additionally, an Exposure Sensor Feedback (ESF(TM)) control system and the Cymer Energy Control (CEC(TM)) algorithm combine to provide significant improvement in energy consistency with less than or equal to +/-0.5 percent energy dose stability. Additional features include an optional Pentium(TM)-based touch screen graphical user interface (GUI) with on-line manuals to support more efficient service and maintenance. The ELS-6000 is currently available for beta testing, with production systems available during the first quarter of 1999.
ELS-6000 Press Event:
Cymer will host a press conference to unveil the ELS-6000 on Wednesday, December 2, 1998 in conjunction with SEMICON Japan, at the Nippon Convention Center in Makuhari, Japan. The event will take place from 12:00 - 12:45 p.m. at the SEMI press room, located outside the exhibition floor. The ELS-6000 will also be featured at the Cymer booth, #1-A802. Customers, press and analysts are invited to visit the booth at any time during the show.
This press release contains forward-looking statements including statements regarding the expected role of the ELS-6000 in semiconductor production. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, including the following: the introduction of new products by competitors with advanced features and performance, and the growth of demand for lasers for the production of semiconductor devices with design rules of 0.18 micron and below.
Cymer, Inc. is the world's leading supplier of excimer laser illumination sources, the essential light source for deep ultraviolet (DUV) photolithography systems. DUV lithography is a key enabling technology, which has allowed the semiconductor industry to meet the exact specifications and manufacturing requirements for volume production of today's advanced semiconductor chips. Further information on Cymer may be obtained from the Company's SEC filings, the Internet at cymer.com or by contacting the Company directly.
SOURCE Cymer, Inc.
/CONTACT: Marie Burke, Director of Investor Relations, 619-618-5232,
fax 619-618-3090, or Leslie Cole, Sr. Corp. Comm. Manager, 619-451-7149,
fax 619-618-3035, both of Cymer, Inc.; or Andrea Mace, Vice President of
MCA, Inc., 650-968-8900, fax 650-968-8990/
/Web site: cymer.com
(CYMI)
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